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Researchers tracking wild polar bears in Canada's northern regions observed something exceedingly rare this fall: a female bear adopting a cub that was not genetically her own.

The half-decade-old maternal bear and her 10- to 11-month-old cubs were spotted and captured on camera during the yearly polar bear journey along the Western Hudson Bay near the Manitoba town of Churchill, an locale renowned for its polar bear population.

"This is uncommon," remarked a scientist with an international bear organization. "The reasons are unclear why it occurs...but we know it doesn't happen often at all."

It's only the 13th known case of fostering out of 4,600 bears studied for nearly five decades in that region.

The mother bear was first captured as she came out from her birthing den this spring. At the time, she had a single offspring, which scientists tagged for study.

In the autumn, she was seen again, but this time with a pair of cubs - the initially tagged cub and another that was untagged. Scientists aren't sure what became of the new cub's biological mother, but they are attempting to locate her using genetic samples.

"These animals need all the help they can get in the current era with a warming climate," commented a polar bear scientist. "If females have the chance to take in another cub and raise it and successfully wean it, it's a good thing for the bears."

Polar bears in the wild only have a 50% chance of surviving into maturity, but having a mother caring for them improves their chances.

The cubs are reported as in good condition, researchers said, and they will likely stay with their mother until they are about two-and-a-half years old.

Next, the family is expected to head out to sea ice, where the youngsters will learn from their mother bear how to hunt seals and survive on their own.

"It's just nice to know that the bears are caring for each other," concluded the scientist.